Five Frugal Things | shorts, period undies, and more
Happy Wednesday, friends! It's time for our usual mid-week frugal lists.
1. I got shorts for $6/pair.
My girls and I really like the linen pull-on shorts from Old Navy.
I wanted to get a few pairs for this summer for us (some of the pairs from last summer don't fit), and when I first looked, they were $25 a pair, and exempt from any coupon codes.
Rats. I abandoned my shopping cart.
But then when I checked a few days later, the shorts were marked down to $9.97.
Yes, please!
I had two $5 rewards from using my Old Navy credit card, so that brought the total price down to $6/pair.
And of course, I selected the slower shipping because it's free.
2. I ordered period undies.
Because right now is as good a time as any to reduce dependence on disposables, right??
I'm still not willing to give up toilet paper (ha!), but I am happy to try something that cancels the need to buy pantiliners.
(I'm not planning to give up my silicone menstrual cup; my thought is that these will remove the need for any disposable backup liners.)
I ordered from Thinx, and I got two marked-down pairs, plus free shipping with a coupon code.
Here's hoping they work out great!
(If you want to try Thinx, you can save up to 20% on your next Thinx purchase through this link.)
3. I used two discounts at CVS.
Sonia and I ran out of contact solution, which we usually buy at Costco.
I haven't been to Costco at all for a long time, though, since I've been trying to really limit my shopping.
So, after Sonia's allergy shot (a necessary appointment that has to keep happening), I stopped into CVS and got saline solution and enzymatic cleaner, plus some toilet paper (yay!).
I used a mailed 30% off coupon, plus my $10 CVS Carepass credit.
(With CVS Carepass, you pay $5/month, and you get a number of benefits, but the main one is a $10 credit which is basically a 50% discount.)
4. I tried to get a car insurance discount.
I was unsuccessful, but I am giving myself credit for trying!
I thought we could maybe get a rate discount by updating our files to show that we are driving almost no miles. But sadly, the plan we are on does not change based on mileage, either up or down.
However, I did find out that a credit is being issued to us in May, since the insurer's costs are so low right now.
And a second credit will come at the end of the year, based on the insurer's expenses at year's end.
5. I...
- scheduled a septic tank pumping (maintenance is cheaper than repair!)
- ate the last bit of peanut butter on a heel of bread
- made 4 quarts of chicken broth
- made more banana chocolate chip muffins to use up brown bananas
- helped Lisey file for unemployment (gotta say, it reminded me of sending in for rebates or dealing with medical insurance. The system seems to be designed to make you give up!)
- scanned my sole receipt with Fetch (more info plus a bonus code at this link)
Staying home has meant some food costs have increased but other things are lower. Every last scrap of food is being eaten. I bought petrol at 79 cents a litre so roughly $3.20 (Aus) a US gallon. I remembered to freeze some bread instead of wasting it. That's about it.
Stay safe and God bless.
Re: Your number 2--I got some reusable cloth pads like a year ago. And right now am so glad I did.
This feels weird to share, but it is kind of timely: Around the same time I experimented with "family cloth," (a very strange euphemism for cloths instead of toilet paper) because of septic issues. I didn't actually ask my family do it, but since I was the only female using toilet paper in the house at the time, I figured I could at least try to reduce the amount of material doing into our septic tank by using cloth for the bathroom times when, um, the males were standing up and didn't have to use toilet paper. (Pee. I'm talking about pee.) I just cut up some old receiving blankets.
It was fine, but I didn't love it and didn't really continue using the cloth regularly. However, for obvious reasons, I started using the cloths again in March. Disposable T.P. is definitely more convenient, though, and I kind of miss it. Even though this is self-imposed. 🙂
We still have great difficulty buying TP in our area. Sounds like you're being inventive, that's a positive thing! Good job!
To be honest, we aren’t being very frugal right now. But here goes, to the best of my recollection.
1. Planting out my garden with seeds from prior years. They are slower to germinate but usually come through eventually. Lettuce and spinach are already sprouting.
2. Rereading a mystery series already on my bookshelf.
3. Keeping to my grocery list which is made easier by using curbside pickup.
4. Husband made a can feeder for my pantry out of scrap lumber.
5. Trying really hard not to waste food and eat up leftovers.
Wish I had something more exciting to report but that’s it.
Frugality is often not-that-exciting, especially because it's sometimes passive (you didn't buy something, you didn't upgrade, etc.).
we have been looking for everyway to use up leftovers. which resulted in my kids new favorite meal! we called it quarantine stew! they keep asking when we can have it again!
I scanned all of my receipts into Fetch plus one I found in a bag of stuff the in-laws brought over for our Quara-picnic- They had a ton of bonuses on it so SCORE!
Just ordered some birthday gifts for my soon to be 18 year old! used Old Navy points and free shipping and used free shipping at Famous Footwear and rewards and discount codes!
Colored my girlies hair at home.. not that I had a choice.. but more of a mental health thing.. she was feeling down and wanted to DO something.. so colored hair it is!
Cooked all the food, ate all the leftovers, baked more goodies that seemed to disappear way too fast...
sent my pile of rolled change to the bank to be put into the savings account
I read that hair dye is selling like hot cakes right now; everyone is getting bored and wanting to color their hair!
That and they can't see their stylists so they are trying it at home.
1. Shopped my basement for patio decor.
2. Walking for exercise.
3. Stretching out grocery trips to 10-15 days is saving money. Less impulse buys.
4. Using no gas whatsoever for days at a time.
5. Still buying stocks for cheap ( ). Not looking at my accounts AT ALL
I assume we are also buying stocks for cheap; like you, I am not looking at our investing accounts at all.
Better to not know!
Hi! I just used your discount code to buy myself a pair of Thinx,so thank you for sharing! I've been wanting to try them for awhile. Just an FYI - shipping is not free with this code. I ended up paying $5 to ship but since the pair I got were already discounted it was still a good deal 🙂
Oh, nuts! I'll correct the info in my post so I don't mislead people.
I hope you and I both like the Thinx. 🙂 I'm so curious to see what they are like!
Who is your insurance company, if you don't mind me asking? That's awesome, that they're doing that.
I'm eating avocado toast for breakfast, so the avocado doesn't go bad and get thrown away. That's more of a treat, though! We've been doing a lot better about not wasting food since COVID.
Just a heads up with Thinx, when I ordered from them and had to return something, it took a lot of follow up to get the refund. They did ultimately honor their guarantee, but it wasn't a fast or easy process.
We are insured through Erie. 🙂
That stinks about your experience with Thinx. If I have to do a return, I will definitely blog about my experience. So far, the only interaction I had was an email to change some information on my account, and that was pretty easy.
I don't think I've been especially frugal this week but will think...
1) In general I haven't spent much money. I went food shopping but otherwise have only donated money for charity.
2) When I went food shopping I noticed certain things were reduced so snapped those up!
3) I successfully made two new recipes. Not frugal at first glance, but in future I'll know how to make them with ingredients on hand.
4) Have continued to read and watch what I have at home rather than buying anything new. I couldn't find a dvd of a film I know I own, and it wasn't free to stream. After some digging around I found it!
5) Have been studying language with free resources.
I will order some shorts from Old Navy today. I only own three pairs now. One is too small (I gained weight during this crisis!). One is covered with paint. And one pair is 12 years old and the elastic is wearing out!! Thank you for posting.
Takeaway foods are traditionally a weak spot in our house, but since we in SA have been on lockdown...
1. We have not eaten a takeaway meal in 5 weeks!
2. I am reading library books on my libby app, and loving it.
3. Using minimal petrol (only to work and back - I'm a health worker), and managed to put off filling up until today (price drop!).
4. Also due to lockdown: no haircuts, clothing purchases or car wash.
5. Cut back to a single cup of coffee (with cream) per day. Instead, I've been drinking tea, with more affordably priced milk (not only for budget reasons though, the tea has been calling out to me, after a long time of drinking coffee almost exclusively; strange times, I suppose).
Someone on Non-Consumer Advocate posted about using their Bath n Body Works bath wash in a foaming soap dispenser. I bought 5 tubes after Christmas and I don't like them. While they were super clearance I will be able to use them up this way. Not sure why I did not think of that...
Hubs took bread machines apart and the belt broke, ordered belt and we should be good. I balked at paying $15 for the belt when I only paid $15 for the machine. Ha ha.
Watched some YouTubes on fixing my sewing machine. If we can get the cover off I think something maybe dirt and dust is breaking the thread in the tension area.
We had leftover flagstone from a garden path and me moved it to an area that is always wet so your can walk thru without getting your shoes wet. Cost= sore back.
We picked up some free small rocks to fill another area the dogs get into and is always wet and muddy. Not any more.
Our insurance carrier did not offer any discounts either, not too happy with that but we dropped collision and parked one of the cars until we need another car to drive. This will save us around 3 months of costs.
I'm unqualified to speak of such things but some women in my life have used the washable liners and pads. From what I understand they are the same concept as a cloth diaper.
Anyway, here's my week:
1.) Instead of buying a new hose cart I was able to mend one my grandmother had that was broken and she had no use for. Total cost was a couple dollars for the brass end repair piece.
2.) Made another restaurant supply order. In it I got some coconut oil, popcorn and spices for much cheaper than buying them at the store. Luckily I didn't have to buy them by the metric ton but either way I plan on sharing them with my extended family.
3.) It ain't much but I bought a gift card to pay for my Netflix subscription. So that saved me 5% with my Amazon rewards. I could've done the same with Target but I haven't been there.
4.) As my daughter is home full time now and hasn't had a haircut in a while I discovered that one can buy a stupidly large amount of hair clips on Amazon for almost nothing. Ditto Googly eyes (though that's for our sock puppet project we'll be doing later this week.)
5.) Returned some items we bought online that didn't fit. Returns and everything are sadly quite slow right now but not much you can do about it.
Been keeping up with not eating out or delivery whoohoo!
I've been trying to fix some muffins, so I'll B going to the store today to get some needed ingredients to make them.
Will try to do my Ministry to find ones who fit the description found in Acts 13:48 by a phone list we are given by a Brother who handles these kind of things...
Will try to get some studying done for an up and coming Watchtower...
And try to make the .muffins today or tomorrow...
And will try to write down some goals that I want to get done before the end of the month...
Ministry? Watchtower? Are you a jw? From where?
On number 2: I felt very bad creating that much waste in the bathroom and decided to try something new. I have been using washable (cotton) panty liners for over a year now and I LOVE them. Being from Germany, I don't know if the brand (Inse Vimse, a Swedish brand) is available in the US though.
I spent about 5 Euro/panty liner - not very frugal, but eco-friendly.
Not a huge frugal week around here so let's see what I can come up with:
1. Our daughter is a PT and has to wear a mask all day now and it was hurting her ears. So I used scraps of fabric and buttons from my button box to make her a few ear savers.
2. Working from home this week so saving on makeup and gas.
3. Made a cherry pit heating pad with supplies on hand and traded it to a friend for Lysol spray.
4. Used leftover stones in the yard to make a pathway in a muddy spot at the bottom of the deck stairs. Saved on materials using what we had on hand and saved cleaning supplies by reducing muddy paws prints on the floor.
5. Menu planned and made grocery list based on the menu. Frugal fail of the week - I forgot to skip this week's Home Chef delivery.
1. Made Banana muffins from some brown/black bananas.
2. Used my 1.00 off per gallon fuel reward from Kroger to fill my car for less than $5.00!
3. Bought some summer clothes from the Gap outlet. With my Old Navy rewards, I only spent about $45.00 for over $150.00 worth of clothes. (Why do summer clothes wear out so fast?)
4. Made Beer Bread (recipe from Medium Sized Family) to serve with Cauliflower soup, yummy!
5. Spent too much at the grocery store panic buying so we went through everything we had on hand and listed all the meals that we could make without going again for quite a while.
Please let us know your thoughts about those undies. I've been looking at them but always wait until I see a true review. Here's my first frugal five of quarantine.
1. Been working from home and with the kids home I rarely drive. I did find out that I need to drive my van more often to keep the battery charged. (I have an ancient van).
2. We've been eating down our freezers and found some ancient steaks that needed to be used. They turned out to be the best steak we ever had!! Also finding some vegetables from our first garden (they are still good too!).
3. We are finally able to have the construction company start our siding project! With damage from a hail storm last fall, our insurance is covering all but our co-pay. New shutters, gutters and siding!! (The one downfall is that it is super noisy while we are all working from home)
4. I haven't had to pay for before/after school care for my kids in like 6 weeks. That is saving us so much money and allowing us to pay off some medical bills that have been hanging over our heads.
5. Ebay has been selling a few items every day. I had some very generous friends who donated their Goodwill bags to me for reselling.
I absolutely love mine! They seriously hold everything in and dont feel bulky. My one dislike is they take a long time to dry since you shouldnt use the dryer. So I need 3 pairs.
I'm so glad to hear all these good reviews of Thinx. Whew! I'm feeling very optimistic.
I like mine and plan to buy more! They are really comfy and don't feel gross.
1. Was treated to two evening meals with family so no cost to me (and lots of fun!).
2. All other meals were cooked at home.
3. Actually went to the store as online shopping is so hit and miss, but didn’t deviate from my very short list.
4. Scanned my one grocery receipt for Fetch. (Thanks Kristen for the referral)
5. Fixed some slipping swimsuit straps.
Not a stunning list but my bank balance thanks me!
1. I listed 5 items on eBay. 1 of those items I found in someone's trash and it sold already.
2. Found another Adirondack chair in someone's garbage. We now have enough chairs to go around our new fire pit and all free!
3. Picked up some kid's shoes and Winter coats from a friend for my daughter, picked up a new crown and necklace set off Buy Nothing for Christmas for my daughter, found a large tin planter in someone's garbage that we will use for our herb garden, and picked up some hostas from Buy Nothing for my back garden
4. We are having a cement patio installed, which resulted in 300 patio bricks being removed. My husband also put in a new toilet this past weekend. I listed the toilet and bricks on Craigslist for free. Someone came and got them, which saved us a disposal fee and is better for the environment.
5. We bought a robot vacuum in December. It's the best thing ever by the way! One of the sweeper arms broke, so the company is sending us a brand new one and letting us keep the (partially) broken one.
Went to the discount bread store and stocked up on Oatnut bread and bagels.
Made a big batch of free loose tea by roasting dandelion roots and drying orange peels. A double bonus of clearing my garden of weeds and yummy tea for the next few months.
Dug up a bunch of rocks from the woods by my house to make a rock garden in our backyard.
Stocked up on some clearance meat and yogurt at the grocery store.
Have been doing lots of crafts with supplies we already have with my son while his preschool is closed.
I think many of us just placed an Old Navy order, they had some awesome sales! I also ordered something from Gap at the same time.
However, I have mostly refrained from other clothes shopping, bad for the retailers, yes, but trying to avoid falling for "boredom shopping".
For house and yard projects, we came very close to making an expensive purchase for our yard, something I've been really looking forward to now when we are stuck at home and can enjoy the yard more. However, after some mulling over, decided to instead pay off our loan for a new furnace we had to buy this past winter.
It does feel good to be socking away all my freelance income. We need to make a master plan for some much needed house improvements, for which we can include the yard upgrade.
We've also been putting a little money into stocks. It's interesting to see how they work in real-time rather than through just mutual funds.
I love my reusable menstrual products, too! I use a cup and reusable pads for back up. My favorite brand is Pink Lemonade Shop, if any other readers would like to try them. There is a Facebook page, website, and Etsy shop. I switched to reusable products for environmental purpose about 6 years ago after my youngest was born. I have found that they are way more comfortable for my body and I think it's even helped regulate and lighten my cycle, yay!
Anyway, that's my 2 cents. 🙂
1. Have been dropping things into our Amazon cart but haven't actually placed any orders. Some of it is stuff that I just feel like having but don't really need.
2. Started a free youtube fitness program and reworked it so that it would be most effective for me. No need to buy any new equipment, no need to drive anywhere or pay a facility fee.
3. Have been filling my daughters' insatiable appetites for reading through ebooks from our public library. Really, free access to books is a huge gift in our lives.
4. Made a gift for my friend's newborn from materials we had at home. Hopefully we actually mail it soon :/
5. We are using so many more of our appliances and kitchen tools since we're eating at home...because having stuff that isn't used isn't frugal! So using what we have is a winner - the blender, mixer, waffle iron, spatulas, toaster oven. And a side note - my pyrex storage bowls/containers are subtle superstars! Having nicely stacking, freezable/microwavable, see-through, tightly closing containers that are right-sized for left overs has really helped reduce our food waste.
I really, really love my Pyrex too. Seeing what's inside is so helpful in preventing food waste!
1) have not bought gas in over a month.
2) baking bread every week
3) made crackers using starter discard
4) made nachos for Cinco de Mayo using whatever ingredients I have at home
5) vacusealing meat and seafood that I bought on sale and at Costco.
Well, thanks to a very much needed surgery years ago (goodbye pain, don't miss you!), I don't need "feminine products" anymore, but wow, I wish some of these new products had been available back when I did. The money a person can spend on the disposable products...
1. My office is back at work, and the restaurants are open to partial capacity. Everyone else in this small office has eagerly headed out to eat every day for lunch. I'm packing my lunch from home, just like I did before this crisis hit.
2. I made a one dish meal that is supposed to be cooked in the oven, but I put it in the Dutch oven and cooked it on the stove top. I still prefer the oven baked, but the stove top version was quite good, and used less heat and energy.
3. An air conditioning call here at work to fix a frozen up unit reminds me to remind us all -- change your filters!
4. I was happy to find that when I didn't have enough ripe bananas for banana bread muffins, a random leftover half-can of pumpkin subbed in for the other bananas quite well.
5. As grandchild number six gets closer and closer to arriving (3 weeks!), I am very, very glad I purchased a welcome gift for Baby (we don't know the sex per the parents' wishes) quite some time ago, when I found what I wanted on sale. I'd hate to try to do that right now.
And bonus 6., this morning I went online to my bank and paid all my bills through bill pay as usual. So easy, so cheap.
It's been so cool up here in the mid-Atlantic, we haven't even run our A/C once yet. But I'm sure the story is different in Florida!
How's your husband doing?
Thanks Kristen, he's not had the virus, thank heavens, but he's not doing all that well as far as mobility and clarity of thinking, unfortunately. He doesn't remember to take better care of his blood sugar, which on a Type I diabetic is not good. We are working on it, and tying to put off nursing home care for as long as safely possible.
1. I sold 7 things - no contact porch pickup.
2. I did a no contact book exchange with my sister.
3. We fixed our double recumbent bike and we’ve been riding everyday.
4. I am using a journal I found in a stash that hadn’t been used. I restarted journaling again.
5. I bought 2 new hoodies online ( one for each of us) with a 20% discount and free shipping.
A few months ago I started wearing Thinx paired with my menstrual cup (for the same reason as you—to eliminate disposable liner backup) and it is a great combination. I also just really love the underwear because it’s comfy too. Good call!
I've had a pair of Thinx for about 5 months now and it's great! I hope to get more soon. I'll have to search for a free shipping code next time.
1. My daughter ripped 2 holes in her comforter this morning while building a fort and I already sewed them up! Not a perfect job, but it's on the underside and it's done.
2. I had some meat that either needed to go in the freezer or be used today, do I used it to make quesadillas for lunch.
3. Yesterday I made banana bread with some past-pretty bananas. This morning I made granola bars with the rest.
4. The kids and I have been enjoying lots of free or inexpensive things at home. Bubbles, swings, bike rides...
5. My bike is a hand-me-down from my parents (which I'm super grateful for) and the handles hurt my hands, so I cut up strips of an old towel and am using it to protect my hands. It's working well! I wrapped a couple of hair ties around them to keep them in place.
1. My blueberry bushes survived my neglect, and I am finally in a place with yard work that I can move them into a better spot. My mom also has a raspberry bush that I can have.
2. My mowers are repaired for significantly less than a new mower. I have a repair that should happen, but it won't hurt the motor if I wait until next summer or for it to get worse.
3. I ordered another battery for my string trimmer for $27 off Ebay. It is unboxed and not perfect, but brand new ones on Amazon are over $100. I also didn't give Amazon any money. Now if I can just find my original battery....
4. I used up some leftover food. I used a bit of chicken broth to make savory oatmeal with leftover roasted almond seasoning that didn't stick. Used up four lemons to make an extra large batch of lemon curd. I shared the curd in exchange for some sugar.
5. Exchanged some puzzles with a friend for something new to do during quarantine
6. I have an agreement with a friend that we will participate with Yoga with Adrienne every night. It's free and good for me. I also went for a bike ride.
Frugal Fail: I had some broccoli and kale waste this week. I was quite disappointed. Both are supposed to be a bit more hearty, but apparently something went wrong. I will keep that into account next time I go grocery shopping.
I'll make this my frugal yard/garden post.
1. Seeds and plants are hard to find near us. My husband ordered some beans and some tomato seeds online. He started the tomatoes and I checked with our neighbor who gives us amazing beef heart tomato plants. Yes, he has enough!
2. A local nursery who offers no contact pickup had a large flat of assorted pansies for 10.00. I ordered and picked up one and they're now re-potted and brightening up the porches and yard.
3. I dug through my 'could be made into something' stache and made a wind chime from an old flour sifter and old silver plate utensils, a quirky turtle from an old colander with silver plate pieces for his feet and tail, a measuring cup for his head and 2 large metal nuts and 2 bumblebees from old tin cans.
4. I redid all my fairy gardens with succulents and pieces I had with beach cochina for pathways. My husband split some hostas to fill out spaces between the gardens.
5. The tricky part to all the planting was we only had a partial bag of potting soil left to plant everything. It took some rearranging but I managed to make it stretch!
Happy Spring, all!
I am so impressed with all your gardening. I am really not very good at it myself.
FFT, Benefits of Aging (and One Disadvantage) Edition:
Today's post got me thinking about the ways I'm saving money by being an over-60 woman with a feckless attitude:
(1) Thank the Goddess, I no longer have to worry about menstrual products of any kind. (And I was so happy when I finally hit official menopause 12 years ago that I had to be restrained from handing out cigars.)
(2) I also no longer look for good deals in shorts, since (a) I am at the age where I'd rather cover up my legs anyway, and (b) I am a Lyme disease survivor and need to cover up whenever I venture into my deer-infested yard. (Note: No sour grapes here. Whoever's legs those are in Kristen's #1 look pretty darn good.)
(3) I haven't voluntarily worn makeup in 30 years, partly because I inherited fairly good skin tone from both sides of the family, and partly because I'm not into enriching the cosmetics industry. (And when I do see someone my age who's laying it on with a trowel, I have to restrain myself from quoting Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "You're not fooling anyone, you know.")
(4) Given the COVID-19 shutdown, I haven't had access to a hairdresser in six weeks, and I've only been going occasionally for the past few years to get the split ends trimmed anyway. I'll probably just have a friend trim off the splitters when the time comes--and I'll have that same friend show me a few ways of doing it up in a bun, so I can get the Miss Marple look down pat.
(5) And the disadvantage I mentioned: The older I get, the more careful I have to be about buying footwear. Since my favorite style of Muck Boots snow boots (the only snow boots I can wear with any comfort) is apparently being phased out, I've just placed an order for another pair at more or less full retail price, just to have one in stock before they all go. Ouch.
Those legs belong to an Old Navy model! Ha. So no wonder they look good.
I am like you with the haircuts. I usually only go in once a year or so, which means that I am not even close to feeling the pain of COVID hairdresser closures yet.
I agree about the makeup too. I'm only 42, and I already feel like I have to exercise a very light hand with the foundation. It starts to look weird when you have some wrinkles and lines, and I know this is only going to be more and more of an issue the more birthdays I have!
Thanks, A.Marie. from another over 60er with the same name as you. I'm with you on every one of your FFT's. Enjoyed this post!
A. Marie, you gave me a good laugh...love your sense of humor, and your positive attitude! I plan to throw a "No More Period Tax" party when I hit menopause.
1) I've driven less than 450 miles in 57 days (~8 miles a day). I normally drive about ~45 miles a week, so this is BONKERS.
2) I only bought what food we needed now that we have enough staples in our pantry. I had been grocery shopping kind of willy-nilly prior to sheltering in place, but I'm back to a careful grocery list and doing without if we're missing something in between.
3) Also grocery related, we are using up all of the veggies that I purchase! Our produce use had gotten pretty bad in recent months. I hate waste, so it's nice to find ways to use everything again.
4) I'm reducing the size of some decorative pillows for a friend. Instead of purchasing pillow forms, I'm using up a big scrap of unbleached muslin and reusing the stuffing from the old pillows.
5) We refuse to up our internet plan, even though they keep telling us that we are reaching 70% of our bandwidth each month. 70% is not 100%.... I was almost convinced until my husband said, "Why would we increase our package if we're not using it up?" That was an insidious marketing tactic!
Pretty mundane week with savings. Sometimes, my numbers are big, but not this time....
1) Had a coupon for a free bag of kettle chips
2) Got a coupon for a free box of kashi granola bars
3) A neighborhood girl had a birthday and her friends were supposed to get on the pc and facetime a happy birthday. None of them did.....So big sister sent out the call to the neighborhood to drive by and do a "birthday beep." Ya know, due to social distancing....Anywho, we decorated our cars and some of us came bearing gifts..I had lots of beauty/makeup from subscription boxes and wrapped it up for this 18 year old. It was so fun and she loved it!
4) I've sold more stuff on the neighborhood site- a paper shredder and flashlight.
5) I'm purging the storage boxes and posting the contents on ebay. No sales just yet, tho.
I bought microfiber cloths and huck towels to reduce our use of paper products. I'm going to do some Swedish weaving on the towels to make them more attractive and to give me another project during this stay at home time.
1. USAA military insurance sent us a $51.00 credit to be used on our July bill.
2. I have washed and blow dried my hair since quarantine for the past two months. I use to splurge and go to the hair salon.
3. I have done my brows, manicure and pedicure at home for the last two months. I use to splurge once a month.
4. No gas on two cars for the past month.
5. No gym membership dues for two months been walking the trails.
6. Free Showtime for 4 months courtesy of our cable company.
1. Enjoyed fun, cheap girl time with my daughter. We watched The King and I and ate home popped popcorn.
2. Continuing to eat home cooked meals. Usual one meal a day is some kind of rice dish.
3. Reusing some of our gray water.
4. Started putting together a guest basket with toiletries. I want to buy things to add, but was able to start collecting things I already had around.
5. Haven't dyed my hair in a long time..the longer I wait the longer my bottles of dye will last.
1. Converted a too-tight flowery corduroy shirt that went went with most of pants I owned to a roomy vest that I can use to dress up plain tops and sweaters with all those pants I own.
2. Cooked up a wheat cereal mix I've had in my pantry a long time to use in yeast and quick bread making.
3. Moved some surplus money (from reduced spending on travel etc) to an tax-free account that is earning more interest over the next few months.
4. Decided to combine what I would have spent on time-share maintenance and a longer trip to transition out of one of my timeshares whose fees continually go up and whose (expensive!) travel insurance does not cover the thirty days before your trip (when the unexpected is most likely to happen!)
5. Got a trial of Amazon Prime to carry us through the next month (we've had to order a few things for house upkeep!)
1. Bought a hair/beard trimmer online since hubby can't go to the hairdresser. If all works out he may never go again, or he may never speak to me again...we'll see.
2. Haven't spend a dime commuting by bus, usually it's $27.50 a week, been on medical leave since late January and now am working from home. 14 weeks total so far, that's quite a bit not spent!
3. Doing my own alterations on some shirts instead of going to the tailor, who's not open now anyway. Keeps me occupied after work hours.
4. Am liking the way my gray hair is growing in, no more highlighting/coloring, might even grow it out and then need fewer cuts.
5. Took inventory of toiletries, food, etc to know what I have instead of guessing. Realized how little I really needed to buy and offered to share with neighbor who can't get out as often.
1. We are getting $42 back from USAA for the insurance rebate!
2. I got a free smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Cafe yesterday.
3. This one is a HUGE bummer. We had to cancel our trip to my daughter's graduation as there is still a 2 week quarantine in MT. We saved the money, but it makes me sad. ;(
4. NO gym membership for 2 months, but we got Netflix for 2 months, so that is actually a net of +$5 a month (and probably 20 lbs!).
5. Saving on gas. I still have to go and check on my parents and take them to appointments, but when we do buy it, it is cheaper. We drove to the beach yesterday just to get out! It was SOOO nice, everyone was social distancing, but it wasn't really crowded, but only stayed a little while because my parents are elderly. And the beach is FREE!
1. I saved my target circle rewards to be able to get a cookbook I wanted for free!
2. I've been doing my grocery shopping for pick ups through Walmart about every 10 days which is actually keeping my food costs down.
3. I've been making my own bread for several weeks now, $.50 (ish) a loaf instead of $4+
4. I've been making my kids' pudding pops at home, runs about $.75 per 6 pops instead of $5+ per box of ice cream bars
5. Baking, baking, baking. I'm at home which means I can bake more than I did before, I used to bake once every two weeks or so and now it's almost daily! I can make so many things and it's so cheap compared to store bought.
I look forward to the thinx review. I’ve had a pair in my cart for a while. It will be nice to see a non bias review!
I cannot stand my Thinkx underwear. I do not recommend. They are for very light flow only and probably only as a back up to a cup or sea sponge. I LOVE my sea sponge. Jade of Pearl.
I like organic cotton cloth pads WAY better than thinx.
Long time reader, only occasional post-er. I really enjoy Five Frugal Things!
I have been working in my garden a lot. I am harvesting kale, chard and arugula. I have lots of other veggies growing.
I walked to do one errand yesterday and rode my bike to pick up some cans of fruit from someone in my Buy Nothing group.
We use shower warm up water in the garden.
We don't need heat and we don't have A/C. Our electric/gas bill was $9 this month because of some rebate (would have otherwise been $40ish).
And my big frugal win was---I opened my etsy shop that I've been dreaming of for a while, and I sold 3 things! https://www.etsy.com/shop/FabricSpeaks
I am sewing just as fast as I can!
Congrats on your etsy shop!
Thank you!
1. Got petrol for 86 cents/L which is about what it was in 1988 here
2. Eating waaay less takeaway which is good but still getting one meal per week to support restaurants & have a break from cooking & usually covers 2 meals
3. I'm cooking more with my microwave - discovered trick from utube to wrap & rest potato in foil after cooking, makes a microwave baked potato pretty good.
4. Have made some excellent progress in tidying & decluttering which in turn is helping me be more efficient with lots of things, discovering hidden gems like a manual spice grinder I forgot I bought from a thrift store (still in box unused) & oddly helping me buy less as I develop skills to only buy what I really need or will be really beneficial
5. Found a plain greek yoghurt I really like to have with fruit & doubles as topping for nachos or creamy dressing instead of wasting a jar of mayo or sour cream I will never finish - no added sugar is a bonus ( NB I have no intention at this stage to go sugar free I love cake & chocolate but I am looking for ways to cut down on unnecessary sugar, e.g. when I have the energy I make a thick fasoloada ( tomato/beans/vegies to replace baked beans which have too much salt & sugar)
woops that should read fasolada
Let's see, it's hard to remember!
1) I'm working on several large yard projects, to cut down the cost of having someone else help us. Pulling out ivy is a terrible project, but it causes rats to nest, and that's neither frugal nor fun.
2) Continuing to list items on eBay & making small sales. Packing all items in repurposed packaging
3) We are walking our neighbor's dog for her, as she can't get out right now. I've found many creative dog poop bag options around our house, vs tossing them.
4) Ate all meals at home, & we've done well with eating leftovers.
5) Picked up lemons that a neighbor had out with a "free" sign in their driveway. Juiced & now enjoy a bit of lemon juice in my water.
Hooray for frugality! Here are my 5 for today:
1. Had another homemade latte, and they’re easy to do! I just heat up milk in a mug in the microwave, and use a whisk to froth the milk up. I top the frothed milk with strong brewed coffee and then sprinkle cinnamon on top. It’s my frugal Starbucks-ish treat.
2. Ate a protein bar for breakfast that I’d gotten on sale. Makes for a cheap and frugal breakfast, and very fast too!
3. Will be staying in today, as I do most days. Enjoying quiet time to read.
4. Those books mentioned above -
I purchased through a book outlet. Our libraries are closed, so I have treated myself to a few books online. (Reading is definitely my major form of entertainment!)
5. Since our gym is also closed down, we’ve been using our mini trampoline at home A LOT! If you research online, rebounding (bouncing on a trampoline) is an excellent exercise to burn fat and get the old lymphatic system cleaned out. Who knew!?!
1. Earned a $10 gift card through Fetch Rewards. I was expecting to make $3 but hit the points jackpot buying diapers and wipes for a friend who can't leave the house. That $10 went toward replacing my broken hairbrush.
2. The hairbrush was just one of a number of things that broke in quick succession. In a month, we had repairs to the washer, dryer, fridge (those three covered by our home warranty, thank heavens); had to replace the can opener and TV remote (on our dime); and DH smashed his glasses in a grocery cart (free repair, although the lens is scratched down the side). So the frugal thing is it could have been so much worse!
3. My fabric stash has given me so much stuff to repair things around the house. I wanted to make a summer valance for the living room window and found two throw pillow covers to take apart and reuse that fabric, along with some coordinating fabric for tab tops and some muslin for the backing. No money spent!
4. More zero dollar decorating: I also rescued my antique trunk from my son's room, where it was languishing under a coat of dust, cleaned it up and put it in our living room to store everyone's laptops and keep them off the floor. Our house is a 1952 California-style ranch and has a nook with a fireplace as the living room. The room's too small for a coffee table, but that little trunk looks great under the window.
5. Did a huge amount of mending at one go: stitched up all the seams on a slipcover, altered a muzzle that is a little too big for the dog (she is high-strung and snaps at people when she is scared), and altered the neckline of a thrifted shirt to make it more modest and thus much more wearable.
Hi Kristen, I love your blog!
1. When searching for a Fitbit, definitely something for fun and not a necessity for me, I realized they sell them at Kohl's. I had a Kohl's gift card from Christmas that I didn't need at the time that I used to buy a simple Fitbit and I only had to pay the tax!
2. Our library has been posting story time online so we make sure to watch it every week for free entertainment for my 2 preschoolers.
3. This is unintentionally frugal, but we have been receiving refunds from many cancelled camps and activities for my kids, so we have been throwing a lot of that into savings for future vacations, etc, so we can enjoy the money when we feel safe to travel again.
4. As a runner, I have taken advantage of a couple of free running programs/challenges on Facebook for extras accountability without spending extra money.
5. I wanted some leggings from Thredup, and if you chose the "bundle" option you for free shipping, you just had to wait an extra week before they shipped it. I didn't need to add anything to my bundle but I waited to extra week to save the $6 shipping fee.